The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

[alexmaclennan]

alex
_________________
alex maclennan

[john burnett]

I am grateful to George Smith from Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society for the following information. I will also post the photographs he sent.

"I saw your request in the GWSFHS magazine, and thought you may be interested in this memorial. It is unusual in that it doesn't give ages, but it does give their civil occupation.

In a park on the north bank of the river Clyde between the Clydebank Industrial Estate and the Golden Jubilee Hospital there are two memorial slabs and a descriptive slab. They show the names of those killed, their rank and regiment and also the position they occupied within Beardmore's before they signed up.

The commemorative slabs are 8 feet 1 inch X 4 feet 6 inches, the descriptive slab is slightly smaller, 6 feet 3 inches X 2 feet 3 inches, all three are made of red granite.

They are set flush with the ground and lie at an angle of about 10 to 15 degrees, this makes photographing them with my camera very difficult. I've done the best I can, sorry about the parallax error, but the inscriptions are legible.

William Beardmore's Naval Construction Works produced ships on the site from 1905 till 1931. It was bought out by the ship builders association as part of their "rationisation plan" to reduce capacity, and closed around 1932. In 1939 it was opened by the Ministry of Supply as a Royal Ordnance Factory, producing guns and tanks. In 1957 it was sold to Babcock and Wilcox and produced cranes, they shut around 1970 and the site reverted to what it is today. Split between a hospital,a park, and an industrial estate.

I worked in the ROF between 1953 and 1957 but I don't remember seeing these memorial slabs, nor do I remember anyone mentioning them, where they were erected at that time I don't know."

[john burnett]

Here are George Smith's photographs.

[DelBoy]

Thos. Murphy, L.Cpl. 2nd K.O.S.B. Rd.Ldr.

(Glasgow Herald 4th March 1915)
"Lance Corporal Thomas Murphy (8072) , King' Own Scottish Borderers, was killed in the trenches at La Bassee, being shot through the head. He resided with his aunt, Mrs Docherty, 13 North Street, Alexandria, and was a reservist. He was a native of Anderston, Glasgow, but after serving eight years in the regulars he went to live with his aunt at Alexandria about four years ago. He belonged to C Company of the K.O.S.B. and was employed as a red leader in Beardmore's Yard, Dalmuir, when called up."

Not on the Bonhill Memorial or Glasgow Roll of Honour.

CWGC
MURPHY, THOMAS
Rank: Lance Corporal
Service No: 8072
Date of Death: 22/10/1914
Regiment/Service: King's Own Scottish Borderers 2nd Bn.
Panel Reference: Panel 15.
Memorial: LE TOURET MEMORIAL

SNWM
Surname: MURPHY
Firstname: Thomas
Service Number: 8072
Date Death: 22/10/1914
Place of birth: Glasgow
Other: 2nd Bn.
SNWM roll: THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS
Rank: L/Cpl

[Adam Brown]

[DelBoy]

W.R. Kennedy, 1st Gdn. Hrs., Mch.Mn.

Possibly the William Kennedy listed on the Dalmuir Parish church memorial.

(Glasgow Herald 12th June 1915)
"Private W.S. Kennedy, 1st Gordon Highlanders, who was reported missing on August 26, has died in Germany. Private Kennedy, who was 31 years of age and a Reservist, was a machineman in Messrs Beardmore's, Dalmuir."

CWGC
KENNEDY, WILLIAM
Rank: Private
Service No: S/9378
Date of Death: 10/04/1915
Regiment/Service: Gordon Highlanders 1st Bn.
Panel Reference:
Memorial: COLOGNE MEMORIAL

SNWM
Surname: KENNEDY
Forename: William
Rank: Pte
Service number: S/9378
Place of birth: Gartcosh Lanarkshire
Date of death: 10 April 1915
Theatre of death: Germany
SNWM roll: THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS
Other detail: 1st Bn.